Alzheimer's Scammer? Orlando Man Said to Have Swindled Over $500,000

Orlando, Fla. (CBS/AP)  An Orlando man, who authorities believe swindled over $500,000 from elderly victims in Alzheimer's and dementia support groups, was arrested and charged with organized fraud and grand theft.

Authorities say Terry Scott Hyder attended support groups in Florida and North Carolina, scamming elderly women with a sick spouse into buying fraudulent tax certificates that he insisted would protect their savings.

A spokeswoman for the Marion County Sheriff's Office said the 49-year-old suspect befriended the women by bringing snacks to the group meetings.

Hyder, according to the Orlando Sentinel, had been the focus of fraud investigations by the FBI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Marion County deputy sheriffs. He was arrested Tuesday, July 6, and  is being held at Marion Country jail without bond.

Sharon Melton, director of programs and services for of the central and north Florida chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, asks people who attend the association's support groups and think they may have been targeted by Hyder to call the organization's 24-hour help line at 1-800-272-3900.